New study: Marijuana users are more like tobacco smokers
New research published in the Journal of Drug Issues shows that marijuana users have much in common with tobacco smokers. A disproportionate share of marijuana users – like cigarette smokers – are poorer with family incomes under $25,000 and uneducated with a high school diploma or less, according to the study by Steven Davenport and Jonathan Caulkins.
Concerning education, income and daily use, new research found closer ties between people who use marijuana and those who smoke cigarettes. The study used data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. It reveals findings that cast doubt on the routine comparisons with alcohol that marijuana legalizations advocates are frequently making.
Marijuana use, like that of cigarettes, is concentrated in lower socio-economic strata, whereas alcohol is a relatively upscale drug,” according to the study findings.
Sen. Jason Lewis, D-Winchester, one of the top lawmakers leading the charge against legalizing marijuana, said:
I think it is largely misleading to compare marijuana to alcohol.
The industry itself, the marijuana industry which is already a multi-billion dollar industry, is really following the playbook of big tobacco.”
Unlike tobacco, marijuana raises questions about how to stop people from driving under the influence – opponents say the new initiative doesn’t do enough to address that.
